Moccasin-type shoe blank and method of making same



Oct. 2l, 1958 R. G. MccoNNELL 2,356,703

MoccAsIN-TYPE SHOE BLANK AND METHOD 0F MAKING SAME:

Filed Aug. 21. 195e Fig. i

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MOCCASIN-TYPE SHOE BLANK AND METHOD F MAKING SAME Roland G. McConnell, Portland, Maine, assignor to Sebago-Moc Company, Westbrook, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application August 21, 1956, Serial No. 605,262

, z claims. (c1. 36-11) This invention relates to shoemaking and includes a novel process of making moccasin shoes of the welt type. It includes also within its scope the moccasin shoe herein shown as produced by the practice of my novel process, and also a composite blank which contributes substantially to the convenience and economy of the process.

In one aspect the invention consists in an improvement on the process and product of U. S. Patent No. 2,420,466, dated May 13, 1947, under which I have successfully manufactured many thousand pair of shoes. In practice, however, it has appeared that occasionally shoes so manufactured have failed by separation of the welting and sole from the upper. This defect has been found to have two causes, one in the manufacturing process and one in the wearing of the shoe. In manufacturing shoes by the process of the patent it is necessary to soak the moccasin blank and attached welt in water before lasting and hand sewing the plug to the vamp. The expansion and subsequent shrinkage of the leather on the last tends to produce an objectionable looseness in the stitches which secure the welt strip to the moccasin blank. Then as a consequence of constant exing of the shoe on the foot, the stitching is caused to work back and forth against the material between the needle holes in the welting. This action in some cases has caused a shearing of the upper material or breaking of the thread itself. When this occurs4 the sole and welting become detached from the upper and the manufacturer is put to the annoyance and serious cost of replacement.

The object of the present invention is to obviate the defects above discussed. After many experiments it has been found that this may be achieved by reinforcing the welt attaching seam by forming a series of spaced points of positive connection between the welt strip and the moccasin blank in addition to the stitching. Preferably and as herein shown these points of positive connection are formed by driving wire staples through the moccasin blank from the inner surface thereof and clenching them on the exposed face of the welt strip in a location between the attaching line of stitching and the edge of the strip. The inner portion of the welt strip is thus positively and permanently secured to the moccasin blank while its outer portion is properly located for receiving the outseam after the lasting operation.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred manner of putting it into effect as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the composite moccasin blank and welt strip attached by a line of stitching,

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view showing the blank in inverted position with the addition of the spaced reinforcing staples,

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the bottom of the lasted shoe,

Fig. 4 is a view in cross section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view in ,perspective of the inishod shoe.

As herein shown the rst step of the process consists in providing a full moccasin blank 10 which includes an integral upper and soleportion for extending across the shoe bottom and has an inwardly tapering slot 11 which opens through its rear end and extends forwardly into the l shank portion of the blank. The outline of the sole portion may be indicated on the grain surface of the blank in any convenient manner.

The next step in the process consists in conforming a welt strip 12 to the outline of the sole contained within the blank and securing the strip in place by a line of stitching 13 which passes through the strip in a location adjacent to its inner edge. The stitchline 13 may be formed conveniently with any available straight needle sewing machine. The attachment of the welt strip to the blank 10 is reinforced at spaced points of positive connection formed by inserting a series of wire staples 14 driven from the inner or esh surface of the blank .l0 and clenched upon the outer surface of the welt strip 12 adjacent to the inner edge of the strip and between the stitchline 13 and its inner edge, thus leaving the outer portion of the welt strip unattached and free to separate from conta-ct with the blank 10 in the lasting operation.

As shown in Figs. l and 3 the staples 14 are closely spaced in the toe portion for maintenance of the convex toe outline, and widely spaced throughout the shank and in approaching the toe portion so as to preserve longitudnal flexibility in the shoe bottom.

Having secured the welt strip as above explained, the slot 11 is drawn together and stitched in the shank portion of the blank and then the composite blank is thoroughly soaked in Water preparatory to the lasting step. This is suggested in Fig. 4 where the blank 10 is shown as shaped to a last 15. The marginal portions of the blank are brought upwardly into conformity with the sides of the last and separated from the welt strip 12 which is thus positioned horizontally and properly disposed to receive the outsole. After the lasting operation has been eifected the plug 16 is sewn to the upstanding marginal edges of the vamp portion of the blank 10. The bottom of the lasted shoe then appears as shown in Fig. 3, the welt strip 12 remaining always in flat condition and being thus presented in the most favorable shape for eventual attachment to the outsole without the necessity of any welt turning or welt beating operations. It will be understood that the rear end of the shoe may be closed by uniting the ends of the blank 10 and, if desired, covering them by an ornamental or reinforcing foxing blank.

Having carried the shoe to the stage shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the shoe may be completed by attaching an outsole 17 to the shoebottom preferably by means of the usual outseam as shown in Fig. 5 passing through the outer portion of the welt and the outsole. The shoe is thus provided with a bottom of substantial thickness and may be worn with great comfort and repaired with all the convenience of a Goodyear welt shoe. Comprehensive wear tests have shown that the addition of the staples 14 to the welt strip in the described location is effective to prevent failure of the attachment of the welt in long periods of wear even when the shoes have been subjected to occasional wetting.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail a preferred manner of carrying it out, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The process of making a prepared moccasin blank which includes the 'steps of shaping a welt strip to the outline of the forepart and shank part only of a sole, securing the welt strip to a moccasin blank by a continuous line of stitching passing through the welt strip adjacent its inner edge, driving a series of staples from the inside surface of the moccasin blank and through the blank and the welt strip between .the line of stitching and the ,inni dge of `the Walt strip, and then clenching the @P165 dd d1@ ddwnturnd Y Xi c ed fac@ .df .the .welt AStrip.-

2. A moccasin-type shoe `blank comprising an integral upper and a sole portion extending across the shoe bot- LQIP Pdrdrl df Sad blank, a welt AStrip sewn .at its inner A@das Lto Said sul@ pdrtion in dat face-10eme contact along ,a 1in@ Substantially within theedg@ of the solporltionl an additional `para111ing line of vsglacued staples CXtnding .from the .inside Surface' '0f Said ,upper and sole portion @11d through the Welt Siria bein/den ,the ASeam Scam and the inn'ei edge vof the Welt strip and bing clenched .on `the downturned exposed face' of tho Wollt `strip securing the inner edge 0f the Walt .strip .t0 1h@ rSaid sql@ portion, the

Staples ,being ,Qlidsdly spaced in the iq@ prticn for mainl tenance of the convex toe outline and Widely spaced thmughddt 1h; shank and in approaching the toe Portion so as to preserve longitudinal exibility in the shoe bottom portion of said blank.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 158,682 Copeland r y v Jan. 12, 1875 11201529 Frsjer l l Dep. 5,1916y 1,513,336 .Gooiyar k l ,oct as, l1924 2,420,466 Comeau o- May i3, 1947 5419i? 

